1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a toner for developing electrostatic charge image and an electrostatic charge image developer which can be used in electrophotographic devices (image forming apparatus) employing an electrophotographic process such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like.
2. Related Art
A method of visualizing image information through an electrostatic charge image such as an electrophotographic method is used in various fields at present. In the electrophotographic method, an electrostatic charge image is formed on a photoreceptor by a charging and exposing process, developed by the use of a developer containing a toner, and visualized through a transferring and fixing process. As for the developer used herein, a two components developer containing a toner and a carrier, and a monocomponent developer containing a magnetic toner or non-magnetic toner alone have been known.
A toner for developing an electrostatic charge image is required to have electrical characteristics. In an electrophotographic system, it is widely known that various properties, for example, a charging amount to the photoreceptor in the charging process, a transferring current in the transferring process, and the like are determined according to an amount of static electricity generated in a toner. Accordingly, it is preferred that a variation in the amount of static electricity (which may be referred to as a charging amount) generated in the toner according to a variation in the environment such as temperature and humidity of the surroundings, a variation in time due to a continuous stirring, or a variation due to difference in charging characteristic between the previously charged toner and a toner newly added thereto is small as possible.